Rubio and Greece open sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens
In short
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis opened the sixth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, where three agreements were signed. Rubio said the alliance matters amid conflicts involving Iran, Yemen, Ukraine and Russia, and stressed cooperation on migration and terrorism. Gerapetritis described Greece as a reliable ally and an anchor of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis opened the sixth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, where Gerapetritis said three agreements were signed. Rubio said the two countries would jointly combat security threats, and the New York Times reported he stressed the need for US security work with Greece on migration and terrorism. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
At a joint press availability at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rubio said the two countries are bound by a common heritage and proud histories, and cited instability from conflicts in Hormuz with Iran, in the Red Sea with Yemen, and in Ukraine and Russia as reasons the alliance with Greece matters to the United States. The New York Times reported that Rubio praised Greece for spending more on defence while saying it needs to address “mass migration.” [ 3 , 4 ]
Gerapetritis said the Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2018, has grown to cover defence, energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, law enforcement, maritime affairs and ties between the two peoples, and called the three agreements signed that day tangible evidence of progress. He described Greece as a reliable ally and an anchor of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, and pointed to the war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and what he called a resurgence of revisionist rhetoric. [ 2 ]
He also noted Greece’s term on the United Nations Security Council in 2025-‘26 and its planned presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2027, saying respect for international law guides Greek foreign policy. The State Department transcripts supplied to reporters were truncated, and the documents do not set out the contents of the agreements signed. [ 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The meeting reaffirms a defence and security partnership between a NATO ally in the Eastern Mediterranean and the United States at a time the documents describe as geopolitically unsettled. The three agreements signed point to continued cooperation in areas ranging from defence to energy and digital technologies, though their contents were not detailed in the documents.
Key facts
- Rubio and Gerapetritis opened the sixth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Three agreements were signed at the meeting, according to Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. [ 2 ]
- Rubio said the two countries would work together on security threats and stressed cooperation on migration and terrorism. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Rubio praised Greece for spending more on defence and said it needs to address what he called mass migration. [ 3 ]
- Gerapetritis said the Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2018, now covers defence, energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, law enforcement, maritime affairs and ties between the two peoples. [ 2 ]
- Rubio cited conflicts involving Iran, Yemen, Ukraine and Russia as reasons the alliance with Greece matters. [ 4 ]
- Gerapetritis said Greece is on the UN Security Council for the 2025-‘26 term and will hold the EU Council presidency in the second half of 2027. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The contents of the three agreements signed at the dialogue. Gerapetritis called them tangible evidence of progress but the documents do not describe what they cover.
- The detail of Rubio’s remarks on migration and terrorism beyond the NYT summary. Only the NYT feed summary reports this, and no full text of that part of the remarks is available.
- Whether the dialogue produced decisions beyond the three agreements. The State Department transcripts supplied are truncated.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Reuters reports that Rubio said the US and Greece will jointly combat security threats. [ 1 ]
- Opening session of the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, with remarks by Rubio and Gerapetritis; three agreements cited. [ 2 ]
- The New York Times reports Rubio stressed security work with Greece on migration and terrorism. [ 3 ]
- Joint press availability by Rubio and Gerapetritis at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [ 4 ]